Chapter 266: The Dort Defense Battle 2
Hearing Nami's reminder, Tolle realized he had no choice but to prioritize dodging until her modifications were complete—otherwise he would disrupt her grand plan.
He immediately activated the Alaya-Vijnana System, and the Bael Demon's movements became swift and precise in an instant.
Raising the assault rifle in his left hand, he unleashed suppressive fire at the Kimaris Trooper while pulling away to buy time for the upgrades.
Every time Gaelio tried to attack, Tolle slipped away at the last moment.
And every time Gaelio attempted to break free of Tolle's interference, rifle fire or a swipe of the thermal blade forced him back.
He was stuck trading blows with Tolle, unable to disengage.
A few minutes later, Nami's notification appeared across the Bael Demon's display—Pseudo TP Armor 2.0 was online.
Knowing the armor upgrade was complete, Tolle immediately reengaged the Kimaris Trooper in close combat.
This time, the upgraded TP armor intercepted the Gungnir's strikes, and the armor surface no longer dented under its impact.
On the other side, Mikazuki successfully escorted Kudelia's shuttle back to the Isaribi.
A portion of the Spinna Rodi–piloting workers boarded the Isaribi as well, delivering another batch of mobile suits to Tekkadan.
Then Akihiro in the Gundam Gusion Rebake Full City, Norba in the customized Graze Meteor, and Eugene in the modified Graze all launched together and rushed toward the battlefield.
Mikazuki returned to the front lines and headed straight toward the Kimaris Trooper again, signaling to Tolle that he intended to resume the fight.
Tolle simply abandoned the stubborn opponent, turned around, and went after the "small fry" instead.
Deactivating the Alaya-Vijnana System, he switched back to the large railgun and charged toward the regular Space Grazes, eager to blow off the frustration of the earlier struggle.
Akihiro, in the Gusion Rebake Full City, also joined the fight—long-range rifle in his right hand and smoothbore cannon in his left—firing continuously at distant Space Grazes.
Norba and Eugene stayed on either side of the Isaribi, intercepting enemy units that slipped through to attack the ship.
The battle dragged on, and the number of Gjallarhorn battleships steadily grew. Two full fleets were no joke.
Over a hundred ships, and four to five hundred mobile suits.
The Bael Demon simply lacked the overwhelming firepower of the heavy-load version—if only Tolle could activate a "Soul" command and keep blasting nonstop for half a day like in certain games.
Tekkadan's morale began to falter. A five-against-five-hundred situation was impossible to win.
Just as the battle reached a breaking point, Kudelia opened a full-channel broadcast from the Isaribi. Her voice was transmitted to the entire world—to Earth, Mars, Jupiter, and even the Gjallarhorn forces:
"To everyone in Gjallarhorn—I am Kudelia Aina Bernstein.
I am broadcasting live to the entire world.
Can you hear my voice?
I want to tell you all what has happened here on the Dort Colony cluster—
The true lives of the ordinary people living in this corner of space.
I have always wanted to save my home and help the people of Mars live better lives.
But I was far too naïve.
The people suffering under Gjallarhorn's rule and exploitation—they do not exist only on Mars. They exist everywhere across the universe.
In the Dort Colonies, I met many who bravely chose to challenge their reality.
Their protests and demonstrations were only meant to negotiate with the authorities and with Gjallarhorn.
But the moment they began to march—
It was as if everything had been planned in advance. A sudden explosion occurred nearby with no known cause.
I am certain the workers of the Dort Colonies were not responsible for that explosion.
Yet Gjallarhorn used it as an excuse to attack the innocent protesters.
That battle—no, that massacre continues even now."
Gjallarhorn had never expected Kudelia's broadcast signal to break through their communications and media jamming. They couldn't cut it off at all.
With her exposé, the entire world learned that Gjallarhorn had used brute force to control a special economic zone for its own benefit.
The moment they pinpointed the source, they realized it originated from the armored battleship Isaribi.
The Gjallarhorn fleet commander immediately ordered all MS to charge toward the Isaribi.
But Kudelia continued her broadcast, informing the world of the current crisis.
"The ship I am on is now surrounded by the Gjallarhorn fleet.
I have a question for Gjallarhorn: Aren't you supposed to exist to protect peace and justice?
Is this—what you are doing now—your idea of peace and justice?
If this is what you call peace and justice—
Then I refuse to acknowledge it!
And if anything I am saying is wrong, then so be it. Go ahead and sink the ship I am standing on!"
Most members of Tekkadan didn't fully understand her speech, especially the meaning of the final line.
But Tolle couldn't help admiring Kudelia—she truly was the revolutionary girl and symbol of the Mars Independence Movement. He had underestimated her. This was a brilliant move, pushing back by risking her own life to survive.
———